The North Newark UFO Case:
Anatomy of a Journalistic Investigation
(cont.)

The
MUFON Investigation

"The case is interesting," says
George Filer, the New Jersey State Director for MUFON, "because of the
confirmed damaged to the oak tree and the numerous ham radio operators
listening in at the time of the incident. A similar sighting took place
on November 16, 1993, when a 30-foot disc-shaped craft passed to the
north of Newark Airport. Our files show 25 UFO sightings in the Newark
area since 1950."

Filer and a team of investigators that included two physicians visited
John Gonzalez on April 21, 1994. "We took photographs, video taped and
interviewed the witnesses," notes Filer. "We inspected John's home and
backyard. He has a room at the back of his home packed with his
computer, radio gear, scanners and other equipment. We saw one of the
remaining branches that had fallen from the tree. The Geiger counter
readings on the branches and yard were within normal limits. However,
it's normal for radiation to dissipate after a month. Our magnetic
field locator that is designed to locate magnetic lines of flux was
unable to uncover any abnormal readings in the area. John's rooftop
wireless antenna was knocked off center and bent slightly west towards
the tree.

"It is apparent from talking with John and his neighbors that on the
night of March 5 there were serious electrical current fluctuations in
the area. Witnesses agree that the lights went off and on, light bulbs
blew out, and appliances such as televisions, radio, ham and computer
equipment were affected, or stopped entirely. One neighbor, A.M.,
indicated her lights went out at about 10:30 P.M. She saw very bright
lights outside, but did not see a craft. Then she heard sound like
rain. This was probably branches falling on the roof. She thought it
was the beginning of a thunderstorm. But the weather report indicates
it was clear and cold. Her TV picture was out for 30 minutes. All those
interviewed claim that police and fire departments came immediately and
most of the witnesses felt the ground shake and thought there might
have been an earthquake. We know of cases in Williamstown, New Jersey
and Williamsport, Pennsylvania where UFOs caused houses to shake and
electrical power to be disrupted."

An engineer from Public State Gas and Electric (PSE&G) told Filer
that he thought the trouble in Newark was probably due to an overload
rather than a low-voltage condition. Filer also contacted the
Lamont-Dougherty Geological Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., and was
told by a seismologist that there had been no earthquakes of any kind
in the Newark area on that date. He also checked with the Newark Office
of Emergency Management, formerly Civil Defense, and was told they had
no log entries for that evening. There were no reports of UFOs in the
local newspapers.

A chemist at a Massachusetts laboratory analyzed the broken tree
branches and told Filer that the beta radiation was slightly above
background, but that this could have come from any source and not
necessarily a UFO. The lab also analyzed a strange ash-like sphere that
Filer's investigative team had found in Gonzalez's back yard. It was
about the size of a golf ball, had the consistency of soft chalk, and
had an outer shell measuring about one-quarter of an inch thick. The
lab told Filer that the ash was an unusual fungus.

"It appears something happened," Filer concludes, "but we have no proof
it was a craft. We couldn't get any of the other witnesses to support
Gonzalez's story that there was a UFO, though they did support the
story that there was a light out there and that effects to their
electrical systems occurred. This, in the past, has been an indication
of UFOs in the area. There are some conflicting statements. One of the
things I've noticed with witnesses is that they have a tendency to pull
in data that they think supports their case but actually has nothing to
do with it. So all the activity in the area may not be relevant to the
case. "

A MUFON investigator who wishes to remain anonymous learned from
PSE&G that the damage to an electrical pole a few blocks away from
the Gonzalez home was caused by a cement truck on March 7 or 8--a few
days after the Gonzalez "UFO" incident. This investigator concludes:
"Maybe something happened that night, but that's the only thing I've
been able to come up with. What I think we have here is a man with so
much time on his hands and who wants to believe in UFOs so much that
he's let his imagination run away with him. If he did see a
nuts-and-bolts craft, I don't see the evidence for that."